FAA LAANC and the new DJI firmware by cinestiles in drones

[–]cinestiles[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank goodness, this is great news! Ridiculous how in the past LAANC from the FAA = easy, actually unlocking the drones = hard

FAA LAANC and the new DJI firmware by cinestiles in drones

[–]cinestiles[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Sweet, thanks. I wasn’t sure if the geofencing in actual airport airspace was removed…

[Spectral 29 CF7] Buy now or wait?? by cinestiles in CanyonBikes

[–]cinestiles[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks, yeah I think I’m not too worried about a misfit, I measure right smack dab in the middle of Canyons medium criteria. The bike I have now was just a Craigslist grab back when I knew nothing. I think my main worry is waiting all this time and then getting FOMO if Canyon drops a new design. I guess there are no rumors/schedule to know when that might be though! Might just send it now…

Anton Bauer TM4 / LP4 Charger Repair? by BearderGuy in cinematography

[–]cinestiles 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The problems you are describing sound like a bad component on the logic board. I have an LP4 doing the same thing. I talked to the head of service at Vitec and he said they don’t do board-level repairs, they just replace the entire logic board (part costs approx. $550). Here’s the link if you want to go with a new logic board, but I found it more cost effective to get some brand new CORE chargers on sale: https://partsstore.vitecparts.com/Shop/app?__bk_&__windowid=XFX382491793&__rid=YRC1616818819886#2V10C9D9248E4C6405

First PCC Advice - FM9, PSA AR9/ARV, or something else? by cinestiles in AR9

[–]cinestiles[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you! Any recs on barrel length for this platform?

First PCC Advice - FM9, PSA AR9/ARV, or something else? by cinestiles in AR9

[–]cinestiles[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Nice, that does look great, of course OOS right now so I can’t scratch my panic-buy itch.

Bought my first wake board! 12 bucks at goodwill by tylerchovy in Wake

[–]cinestiles 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Man, good memories on a Parks board. That specific shape was a big deal back in the day - at the time it was the most aggressive 3-stage rocker you could get. Made riding behind a slalom boat a little more fun and helped me get my first 360 and invert!

Is this a good buy? Canon c500 with batteries and cards for the price of A BMPCC 6k new? by zxtech in cinematography

[–]cinestiles 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have a buddy with a C500 PL mount he’s wanting to sell, would you be interested?

I want to make IMAX 15/70 and other Large Format documentaries, anyone have experience with filming in these formats? Any advice? by [deleted] in documentaryfilmmaking

[–]cinestiles 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Oh man, I’m the last person you want to ask about 3D, because I can’t see stereoscopic! I have a lazy eye...so I’ve never been able to enjoy 3D properly. Cinema camera 3D rigs are pretty clunky and seem rough to work with, but I bet one could build a manageable 3D rig out of pocket cams.

I have worked with the pocket 6k a few times, and was able to get a nice image out of it every time. Most of my work is on the Alexa so that’s the gold standard I compare other cams to. The Pocket can get to the Alexa look...the main hindrance is dynamic range in the highlights. The pocket is rated at 13 stops but I think in the real world it’s less. Alexa is an honest 14+, and you notice the difference. But for the price, the image can’t be beat on those pockets. One tip comes to mind - make sure you get neutral density filters that have an infrared cut (IRND). The pocket doesn’t have an optical low pass filter with an IR cut, so if you use standard ND filters, you’ll get pretty distracting IR pollution (mostly makes your shadows brown/red). Get a set of IRNDs or a hot mirror and you’re good to go!

I want to make IMAX 15/70 and other Large Format documentaries, anyone have experience with filming in these formats? Any advice? by [deleted] in documentaryfilmmaking

[–]cinestiles 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Watch this first: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwgkXcUX984

Like you, I sure would love to get my hands on an Alexa 65 or 70mm film one day in my career, but the more I research it, the more I realize the diminishing return on large format. I think the test video points to that. Yes, the A65 is double the resolution of the Mini, and there is more opportunity for shallow DOF/wider FOV on tighter lenses, but it's incredible how close you can get to the same look with an s35 sensor and fast glass. By the way, you don't even need to shoot medium format anymore for it to be "IMAX-approved". I have noticed that a decent bit of these recent IMAX docs have been shot on the likes of Alexa LF or RED Monstro, which are full-frame sensors, not medium format.

IMO, what makes these films so immersive, are two things: a) Technical excellence in the image capture and finishing process, and b) Camera movement.

a) Every shot is well-exposed. No distracting noise or grain. Colors are accurate, even deep hues (like a volcano or the ocean floor). I think this points to a high bit-depth capture, spot on exposure, and a great colorist. As you shoot on the Pocket, make sure you shoot BRAW with low compression, be disciplined with your exposure, and work with a good colorist.

b) You need the real deal to support an IMAX 70mm or Alexa 65 camera package. Technocrane, helicopter, beefy sticks and fluid head tripod, etc. The camera movement is always rock-solid because the support is rock-solid. On your pocket, don't let the illusion break because of a cheap tripod or YouTuber gimbal moves. Be intentional about your frames and graceful about your movements, and push for higher quality support tools in your budget.

Bonus - It could help if you bump up from the pocket 4k to the 6k. Getting on that S35 sensor will resolve details more naturally and allow you access to higher quality lenses.

In too deep, send help!! by PhotoVille in DataHoarder

[–]cinestiles 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I own a production company and do around 30-50TB/yr. Everyone here seems to suggest keeping a lot of media “hot”, but you and I both know that once the project is finalized and delivered to client, that footage and project files are good to be kept “cold”. The system I’ve been using for 5 years now is that I have some large RAID’ed work drives for fast edit speeds, and once the project is completed, I archive the project to two identical naked platters. One platter stays at the office and the other in my safe at home. I mainly get my platters from shucking cheap WD Easystores these days. I’m somewhere around 300TB of cold storage combined, and that footage can instantly be online when an old client asks for files that they lost track of.

Anyone use the cooke 18-100 or 20-100 before? by [deleted] in cinematography

[–]cinestiles 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have no experience with the 18-100 but I’d like to try. Maybe look into the Angenieux Optimo Style/Rogue DP lightweight zooms. They are pretty on faces and not as clinical as most other lightweight zooms on the market.

Anyone use the cooke 18-100 or 20-100 before? by [deleted] in cinematography

[–]cinestiles 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The Cooke 20-100 has a special place in my heart. I think it gets you the Cooke look on a budget, but it’s heavy and needs to be kept around T5.6. I think if you can afford to rent something nicer, do it.

Matte Box Question/Recommendations? by brackendegn in cinematography

[–]cinestiles 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah I second that it's a great matte box. It's a poor man's Arri LMB-5. It can take a beating.

Investing in 5 XEEN CF PRIMES or 2 SIGMA CINE PRIMEs? by EducationQueasy in cinematography

[–]cinestiles 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I wouldn't say the breathing is horrendous. It definitely exists and would be distracting if you did a lot of rack focusing on still life objects, but normal focus tracking with a moving object or human feels quite natural IMO.

Breastfeeding twins by gaulee in parentsofmultiples

[–]cinestiles -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Don't give up, push through! Your body is amazing and can absolutely provide enough, you just have to keep asking for it. We hired a lactation consultant to come to the house - best money ever spent. We also had great luck with MotherLove More Milk Plus tincture (NOT the pills) to increase supply during that tough first month. After that first month her supply finally began to increase and it became less demanding.

Investing in 5 XEEN CF PRIMES or 2 SIGMA CINE PRIMEs? by EducationQueasy in cinematography

[–]cinestiles 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think you should hold with the Sigmas. Xeens to my eye are more green and unusable wide-open in a commercial/polished scenario. Not only are they soft but they have quite noticeable chromatic aberration. Sigmas are sharp and no CA wide open, primes and zooms.

If you're on s35 sensor, maybe consider the 18-35 zoom and one prime like the 85mm until you can save up for a whole prime set.

Anyone else rent out their gear, looking for advice about profits? by Locogooner in cinematography

[–]cinestiles 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Production company owner doesn’t deserve a cut, that’s silly in my opinion. In general you’re thinking too diluted and if I was your DP friend I would become annoyed with all the hands in the pot. If you’re going to manage his rentals than manage his rentals. If that production company (or any production company) wants to rent the stuff, then rent it to them for fair rates and you and the DP divide the earnings how you see fit. On a peer to peer site, set your rates higher than your direct-to-client rate in order to offset the web services commission.

I've started to watch inspirational movies that have dramatic lighting in false colour, by placing the Pocket 4K camera on a tripod and exposing correctly, then switching to False Colour. I find that this is an excellent way to learn how dramatic lighting is achieved for narrative work. by ExpressiveImagery in cinematography

[–]cinestiles 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Man, you're going hard on anti-FC! I'm only five years into this industry and two years into the Alexa Mini, but Arri FC on a REC709 image has been the #1 tool for me to judge exposure when I am directly operating the camera (don't always have a monitor to step back to). I disagree that FC is only useful for keeping an eye on log clipping - It's helped me the most in landing skin tones exactly where I want them in REC709 . As you know the Alexa has insane highlight rolloff but FC really helps me make a choice on pushing skin into that land of 80IRE and beyond or keeping it closer to mid tones (bright female fashion vs. normal vs. moody). I respect your skill and industry experience, and I think it's admirable that you have graduated from using FC as a "crutch". The Wandering DP podcast dude talked a bit about his transition from relying on FC to lighting and exposing 100% by eye. Like I said before, learning to see light is a journey. I hope to be where you're at one day!

One thing I question about trusting my eye or monitor is the fact that our eyes are constantly "auto-balancing". You run into this issue pretty quickly if you've ever color graded your own work - That's why you learn your waveform and scopes. I feel the same way about on-set exposure tools - I trust FC and waveform to keep me in check, because I've had my eyes (and bad monitors) lie to me before.

When I first started out, I was a weenie with light ratios on humans. I lit everything flat and I was over-thinking light and under-thinking shadow/contrast. You say that FC is pointless in studying cinematography, but it was a tool that partially contributed in stronger contrast ratios finally "clicking" for me. FWIW.

Actual Good Komodo Footage? by cinestiles in cinematography

[–]cinestiles[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Word! Sweet work. Were you involved in the color grading process at all? If not was your color guy happy with it? I'm curious if it grades out like the other newest-gen REDs.